Adventures Among the Stars
by RedandBlueFangirl
Summary: April Jones was a normal 23 year old woman, until a spaceship crashed into Big Ben. Follow April as she joins the Doctor and travel through time and space. Part 1 in "The Doctor and April series."
1. Aliens of London

**Hello! And welcome to my new version of my former Doctor Who story "My Story." I decided to rewrite "My Story," because I couldn't read it and feel good about it. So here I am hope the new version is way better. If you have read my old story you will notice that I have made a lot of changed to April and her background and I hope you will accept them. Well, I'm done blabbering. Onto the first chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced and owned by the BBC and created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson. Any character recognised belong to the BBC.**

* * *

April Mariane Jones was a normal 23 year old woman. She had shoulder length red curly hair, dark blue eyes and dimples. She had an average height of 174 cm (5 ft 8 1/2 in). Normally her days were nice and quiet but now she hurried to catch up with her mother, Harriet Jones. The last couple of hours had been far from normal. A spaceship had crashed into Big Ben and the nation was panicking. Her mum hurried up to a nearby secretary and April couldn't help but wonder why her mum thought she would still have an appointment.

"If we could talk in private, sir. Follow me upstairs." The secretary said and started walking up the first step of the stairs, with a man, but my mum stopped him.

"Excuse me! Harriet Jones. MP for Flydale North" My mum said and showed her card .

"I'm sorry, can it wait?" the secretary asked and April noticed that his name tag said Ganesh.

"But I did have an appointment at 3:15"

"Yes, and a spaceship crashed in the middle of London. I think the schedule might have changed." With that Ganesh and the other man (Mr. Green) headed up the stairs. My mother looked disappointed.

"Mum, it wasn't that important and he's right. A spaceship crashed in the middle London. They have a lot to do."

* * *

April looked on amused as her mother brought Ganesh a cup of coffee.

"I bet no one's brought you a cup of coffee."

"Thank you"

"Pleasure" Ganesh took the cup and saw straight through my mum.

"You still can't go in"

"Damn. You've see through my cunning plan." Mum smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's just impossible." he said and walked over to another desk.

"Not even for two minutes? I don't get many chances to walk these corridors. I'm hardly on of the Babes, just a faithful back bencher. And I know we've had a brave new world land right at our doorstep, and that's wonderful. I think that's probably wonderful. Nevertheless, ordinary life keeps ticking away. I need to enter this paper."

Ganesh at walked around a gotten some papers from different desks and sat down as mum pulled up her paper from her bag. At that moment, a trio of politicians leave the Cabinet Room, one of them being . My mom hurried over to them.

"Oh, Mister Green, sir. I know you're busy, but could you put this on the next Cabinet agenda?"

"What is it?"

"Cottage hospitals. I've worked out a system whereby cottage hospitals do not have to be excluded from centers of excellence. You see, my mother's in the Flydale infirmary. That's my constituency. Tiny little place, you wouldn't know it, but it's given me a chance to…"

Before mum got the chance to finish she was interrupted by .

"By all the saints, get some perspektive, woman! I'm busy."

April saw red.

"Hey mister! I don't care who you are or what is going on right now. You do not treat my mother like that, you disrespectful fool."

Harriet had to hold back April from slapping , who just scoffed at her. Ganesh grabbed his jacket and follows the trio as they walked away. Harriet and April shared a look before they the two of them entered the Cabinet Room. April closed the door while Harriet placed her proposal in the Red Box and noticed the Emergency Protocols file inside. She sat down and started reading.

* * *

As Harriet was packing away the documents, April heard voices from the hallways. She peaked out into the hallway and saw the trio from before being berated by a General Asquith. She turned to her mother and whispered 'hide!' as the voices came closer to the Cabinet Room.

"Well, it has been a bit of a shock" Greens voice sounded.

"This is the greatest crisis in modern history and you've done nothing. Your behaviour has been shameful, sir. You're supposed to be in charge. We need positive leadership. The capital's ground to a halt."

Just as they are about to enter the Cabinet Room, Harriet and April hid in a cupboard.

"Furthermore, we can only assume that the Prime Minister's disappearance is the direct result of hostile alien action, and what have you been doing? Nothing." Asquith continues berating.

"Sorry. Sorry. I thought I was Prime Minister now." Green threw in Asquith's face.

"Only by default.

"Oh, that's not fair. I've been having such fun."

April frowed, How can he have been having fun during a crisis like this?! Apparently Asquith seemed to have the same thought.

"You think this is fun?"

"It's a hoot, this job."

Margaret Blaine throws her 5 cents in.

"Honestly, it's super."

A fart was heard from one of the people in the trio and April really did not want to know who let it rip.

"Oh, excuse me." Oliver Charles said only to let another one rip. "Oh."

Then all three of them continued to fart and laugh one after another, and April started to feel quite disgusted. Asquith ignored the farts and look around the Cabinet Room.

"What's going on here? Where's the rest of the cabinet? Why haven't they been airlifted in?"

"I cancelled it. " Green said simply. "They'd only get in the way. Oh, there I go."

"Oh, and me! I'm shaking my booty."

"Sir! Under Section Five of the emergency protocols, it is my duty to relieve you of command. And by God, I'll put this country under marshal law if I have to."

"Oh, I'm scared. I mean that's hair-raising. I mean, literally. Look!"

April watched closely as Green unzipped his forehead and a blue light pours out. Margaret and Charles do the same. They watched horrified as the three aliens killed General Asquith.

* * *

The floppy dummy of Oliver Charles is thrown over the back of a chair, and General Asquith stood up.

"What do you think? How's the compression? I think I've got too much ballast round the middle."

He lets out a fart.

"Oh, that's better."

"We've really got to fix the gas exchange. It's getting ridiculous." Margaret said.

"I don't know. Seems very human to me. Ah, better rid of his skin." Green tells the others

"Shame. I quite enjoyed being Oliver. He had a wife, a mistress, and a young farmer."

Asquith said and throwed Oliver's skin into the cupboard where April and Harriet were hiding. April had to stop herself from screaming when a lifeless arm hit her in the face.

"God, I was busy." Asquith exclaimed.

"Back to work." Green commands him.

"I have an army to command."

"Careful, now. We're not there yet." Margaret reminds him.

From the outer office Ganesh enters the Cabinet Room.

"General Asquith! Sir, we've had a priority alarm. It's code nine. Confirmed code nine."

"Right. Good."

As the trio leves the Cabinet Room, Harriet and April comes out of the cupboard and listens to the conversation in the outer office.

"Code nine, huh? Which would mean?"

"In the event of the emergency protocols being activated, we've got software that automatically searches all communications for key words, and one of those words is Doctor. I think we've found him, sir."

"What sort of doctor? Who is he?" Margaret askes.

"Well, evidently he's some sort of expert in extraterrestrial affairs. The ultimate expert. And we need him, sir. We need him here right now!"

As the trio and Ganesh walks away, April turns to her mother.

"If this doctor really is an expert in extraterrestrial affairs then we need to get to him before those… those... things"

Harriet nodded in agreement.

"Come one then." She said and they headed out into the outer office.

As they get down downstairs to the waiting room, Harriet shows her ID to an armed policeman.

"Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North."

She drags April along with her between all of the people in the room. Ganesh enters from a door behind them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you, ID cards are to be worn at all times." Ganesh said as they approached him and saw him give a card to in his early forties wearing a leather jacket, with a young blonde by his side.

"Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without her." The man said firmly and put on his ID and April notices he had pale blue eyes.

"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? She'll have to stay outside."

April and Harriet shared a look, That's the Doctor?

"She's staying with me."

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in and that's a fact."

"It's all right. You go." The blonde said and Harriet decided that this was the moment to approach him.

"Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?"

Ganesh interrupted before he had a chance to answer and The Doctor had a conversation with the blonde.

"Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?" Ganesh said exprated and April shot him a look of annoyance.

"I just need a word in private." Harriet said.

"I suppose so. Don't get in any trouble." The Doctor told his companion and left.

"You haven't got clearance. Now leave it." Ganesh told Harriet and April before focusing on the blonde.

"I'm going to have you to leave you with security." Suddenly April got an idea.

"That's all right. We'll look after her." Harriet caught on to April's plan.

"Let me be of some use." She said and grabbed the blonde and getting her to walk with them.

"Walk with us. Just keep walking." Harriet told her.

When they made it to a private area they stopped walking.

"That's right. Don't look round. Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North." Flashing her card.

"This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right?" April asked.

"He knows about aliens?" Harriet continued.

"Why do you want to know?" The blonde asked and Harriet started crying.

April was quick to lay an arm around her and pull her into a side hug. They explained the situation to the blonde, while walking towards the Cabinet Room.

"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!" Harriet finished explaining showing the skin suit to the blonde and she understood.

"It's all right. I believe you. It's. it's alien. Then must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it."

She starts searching the room and opens a different cupboard form the one that April and Harriet had hidden in. A man's body falls out from the cupboard.

"Oh, my God! Is that the.." The blonde exclaimed, when Ganesh entered the room.

"Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander..." Ganesh sees the corpse in the floor.

"Oh, my god. That's the Prime Minister!"

"Oh! Has someone been naughty?"

Margaret had entered the room without anyone noticing and Harriet instantly pushes April behind her who in turn pulls the blonde next to her.

"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!" Ganesh said in shock.

"And who told you that, hmm? Me." Margaret said and reached for her hairline.

They stared as she unzipped and pulled the skin suit down to reveal a tall green monster. It laughed and grabbed Ganesh and lifted him high in its claws and suffocated him.

* * *

 **And there it is. What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Do tell me if I am not being descriptive enough.**

 **Hopefully I will remember to post the next chapter tomorrow. I have written everything for season one (minus the Christmas special if you count that as S1), so I should be able to update on a regular basis throughout July.**

 **Stay safe.**


	2. World War Three

**Here we go. The second chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: Doctor Who is a british science-fiction television programme produced and owned by the BBC and created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson. Any character recognised belong to the BBC.**

* * *

Suddenly Margaret got electrocuted and Ganesh fell to the floor, dead. April, Harriet and the blonde, who April realised looked a bit familiar. made their escape. Running into a corridor, Harriet suddenly stopped.

"No, wait. They're still in there. The emergency protocols. We need them." And she ran back to get them.

"Mum! There isn't time." April yelled only to sigh and follow. _Stubborn woman._

As they ran back the alien left the cabinet room and they ran away, again. They ran through corridors and closed a door behind them The alien smashed its way through the oak doors and April, Harriet and the blonde were chased through a series of rooms. As they were running, April turns to the blonde and held out her hand.

"I forgot to introduce myself. April Jones."

"Rose Tyler."

And they ran. They run past the lift as its door opened and whoever was in the elevator distracts the alien long enough for April, Harriet and Rose to escape. They got into the sitting room, and Rose told them to hide. Rose hid behind the large drinking cabinet. Harriet and April hid behind the folding screen by the window. The alien that were Margaret entered the sitting room.

"Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little humykins, come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips."

Rose managed to make it from the cabinet to behind a curtain. Two other aliens entered the sitting room.

"My brothers." Margaret greeted.

"Happy hunting?" Green asked.

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink."

"Sweat and fear." Asquith said.

"I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones." Green describes Harriet, who managed to look very offended.

"And a young girl so timid and nervous."

"And a ripe youngster, all hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps." Margaret said and pulled back the curtain Rose hid behind. She screamed as she had no means of escape.

"No! Take me first! Take me!" Harriet jumped out from her hiding place.

"Mum!"

Suddenly the Doctor bursted through the doors with a fire extinguisher and sprayed one of the aliens with it.

"Out, with me!" He yells, and Rose pulled the curtain over Margaret. They ran to stand behind him.

"Who the hell are the two of you?" he asked as he kept spraying with CO2.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North."

"April Jones, her daughter."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." April and Harriet said simultaneously as the Doctor used up the fire extinguisher and they ran.

"We need to head to the Cabinet Room." the Doctor told them.

"The Emergency Protocols are in there. The give instructions for aliens."

"Harriet Jones, I like you."

"And I like you too."

They ran for a while, being chased through corridors and rooms. The door to the cabinet room was locked but the Doctor unlocked it with his sonic screwdriver. As they entered the Cabinet Room the Doctor grabs a decanter from a side table and stood in the doorway as the aliens caught up.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off."

The aliens took one step back into the outer office.

"Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens." Harriet simply said making April roll her eyes.

"Yeah, I think he got that, Ma."

"Yeah. I got that, thanks." he agreed.

"Who are you, if not human?" Green asked.

"Who's not human?" Harried asked.

"He's not human."

"He's not human?"

"Well that certainly explains his knowledge of extraterrestrial beings" April muttered.

"Can I have a bit of a hush?"

"Sorry."

"So, what's the plan?"

"But he's got a Northern accent."

"Lots of planets have a north.

"I said hush. Come on. you've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. you've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?" Asquith asked.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?"

"The Slitheen race?"

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service." Green explained.

"So, you're family."

"A family business."

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?"

"Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?"

"Is that what I said?"

April started at him, _could he not remember?_

"You're making it up."

"Ah, well. Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it."

Harriet shook her head, clutching the Red Box.

"You pass it to the left first."

"Sorry." The Doctor said and past it to Rose, who gladly accepted it.

"Thanks."

"Now can we end this hunt with a slaughter."

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson."

The Doctor lifted a small panel by the door and pressed a button. Metal shutters crashed shut across the windows and doors.

"Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in." The Doctor said with a big grin.

"Then how do you propose we get out?" April asked him.

"Ah." he said still with a grin on his face. The smile faded when he saw the body of Ganesh.

The Doctor dragged Ganesh's body into a small store room.

"What was his name?" The Doctor asked making the other people look at him.

"Who?" Harriet asked not looking up from the emergency protocols.

"This one. The secretary or whatever he was called." Harriet walked to the store room to look at the body.

"I don't know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name." She said with regret as she walked back to the table. April had been standing at the doorway, observing.

"Ganesh. His last name was Ganesh, he was the junior secretary." April told him, and maintained eye contact for a short second before the Doctor turned back to the body.

"Sorry Mr. Ganesh." then he stood up and addressed the women.

"Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?"

He walked around the room and examined the windows. Rose had been looking through the drawers in the room.

"No. This place is antique. What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?" Rose asked.

"He's too slim. They're big wild beasts. They need to fit inside big humans."

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?"

"That's the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller." Rose joked making April snigger. Harriet was not amused and sent her daughter a sharp look.

"Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes."

"Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him." Rose explained.

"Well, that's a strange friendship."

"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything are you?" The Doctor inquired.

"Oh, hardly." Harriet said, and April shot her mother a sad look knowing she wants to make a change.

"Rings a bell. Harriet Jones?"

"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got, like, defence codes and things? Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?" Rose asked and walked towards Harriet to look over her shoulder.

"You're a very violent young woman."

"I'm serious. We could."

"Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations."

"Say that again." The Doctor orders Harriet.

"What, about the codes?"

"Anything. All of it."

"Well, the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special Resolution from the UN."

"Like that's ever stopped them" Rose injects.

"Exactly, given our past record. And I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is it important?"

"Everything's important."

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal"

"What do they want, though?"

"Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen World. They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset."

"Like what, gold?" Harriet asked

"Oil? Water?" April suggested.

"You two are very good at this." he said and April couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.

"Thank you." Harriet answers, pleased.

"Harriet Jones. Why do I know that name?"

April jumped as a phone beeped.

"Oh, that's me." Rose said and grabbed her phone from her pocket.

"But we're sealed off. How did you get a signal?" Harriet asked dumbfounded.

"He zapped it. Super phone."

"Then we can phone for help. You must have contacts."

"Dead downstairs, yeah."

"It's Mickey."

"Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy."

"Yeah, he's not stupid after all."

Rose gave her phone to the Doctor. There was a picture of a Slitheen being electrocuted.

* * *

Rose were quick to call her boyfriend.

"Is she all right, though? Don't put her on, just tell me."

Before Mickey could answer, the Doctor took Rose's phone from her hand.

"Is that Rickey? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer."

The doctor listened before continuing.

"Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but, err, I need you."

While Mickey was getting on his computer, the Doctor was plugging in the phone into the conference phone speaker.

"Say again"

" _It's asking for the password."_

"Buffalo. Tow Fs, one L."

" _So, what's that website?"_ A female voice sounded, and April guessed it was Rose's mother.

" _All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've know about aliens for years. They just kept us in the dark."_

"Mickey, you were born in the dark."

"Oh, leave him alone."

" _Thank you. Password again."_

"Just repeat it every time. Big Ben - why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?"

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them." Harriet spoke for the first time in a while.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle

of London."

"The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on Red alert. What would they do that for?" Rose asked.

" _Oh, listen to her."_ Rose's mother said.

"At least I'm trying."

" _Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind. Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures form the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter disappear off the face of the Earth."_

"I told you what happened."

" _I'm talking to him. 'cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor and maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Is my daughter safe?"_

"I'm fine."

" _Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that? Well, what's the answer?"_

If the Doctor ever intended to answer he didn't have the chance before Mickey was back on the phone.

" _We're in."_

"Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that."

Sounds from the computer flowed into the Cabinet Room.

" _What is it?"_ Mickey asks.

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying. It's some sort of message."

"What's it say?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. It's on a loop, keeps repeating."

Suddenly the sound of a doorbell could be heard.

"Hush!"

" _That's not me. Go and see who it is." Mickey told Rose's mother._

" _It's three o'clock in the morning."_

" _Well, go and tell them that."_

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?" The Doctor wondered.

Suddenly the door slammed.

 _"It's him! It's the thing, it's the Slipeen!"_

" _They've found us."_

They could hear Mickey getting up from his chair.

"Mickey, I need that signal."

Rose protested.

"Never mind the signal, get out! Mum, just get out! Get out!"

" _We can't. It's by the front door. Oh, my God, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us."_

"There's got to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!" Harriet said.

"I'm trying!"

" _I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run. don't look back. Just run!"_

The sound of the door splintering was heard.

"That's my mother."

Rose's plea seemed to have spurred the Doctor into action.

"Right. If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet. So, judging by their shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!"

"They're green." April said.

"Yep, narrows it down."

"Good sense of smell." Rose said.

"Narrows it down."

"They can smell adrenalin." April said.

"Narrows it down."

"The pig technology." Harriet suggested.

"Narrows it down."

"The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?" Rose said.

"Narrows it down."

" _It's getting in!"_

"They hunt like a ritual" Rosa said.

"Wait. did you notice? When they fart, it doesn't just smell like a fart, it's something else. What is it? It's more like, err…" April struggled to find the word, but Rose found it.

"Bad breath!"

"That's it!" April exclaimed.

"Calcium decay! Now, that narrows it down!"

"We're getting there, Mom!"

" _Too late!"_

"Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else?"

The Doctor looked at them, but none of them had an idea so April took a guess.

"Hyphenated surname?"

"Yes! That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius!" He yelled excitedly.

" _Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter."_ Mickey's sarcastic responds sounded.

They heard as the door fell apart.

"Get into the kitchen!" The Doctor ordered.

" _My God, it's going to rip us apart!"_

"Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!"

"Just like Hannibal!" April and Harriet said together.

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

" _How should I know?"_

"It's your kitchen."

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf." Rose told him, and April raised an eyebrow, _does he not know where any of his stuff is?_

" _Oh, give it here. What do you need?"_ Jackie asked.

"Anything with vinegar!"

" _Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs."_ April made a disgusted face.

"And you kiss the man?" the Doctor asked Rose.

On the phone they could hear as the Slitheen entered the kitchen and something was thrown. For a moment there was silence. Then a fart was heard followed by an explosion. The four people in the Cabinet Room breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hannibal?" Rose asked.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar." April replied.

"Oh. Well, there you go then." Rose said and they all toasted the moment with a glass of port.

* * *

Some time had passed since the crisis and Mickey returned on the phone.

" _Listen to this."_ he said.

The voice of Green could be heard.

" _Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within forty-five seconds."_

"What?"

" _Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is out only chance of survival. Because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you, planet Earth is at war."_

"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there. there's no threat. He just invented it."

"Of course he invented it. The Slitheen wants the whole world panicking. On the edge. After all we humans gets scared easily." April told him.

"The release the defense code." Rose started.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear." the Doctor finished.

"But why?"

The Doctor went to open the metal shutters and looked Margaret straight in the eye.

"You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there is nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked."

"And we can sit though it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away."

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful planet. What for?" Harriet asked.

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert."

"The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chunks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel." Margaret explained.

"At the cost of five billion lives."

"Bargain."

"I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you."

The Slitheen started to laugh.

"What, you? Trapped in your box?"

"Yes. Me."

The Doctor closes the shutters on Margaret's laughing face.

* * *

Hours had passed and April had gone over every scenario she could think of to stop the Slitheen. She could only find one solution. April shook her head, _there has to be another way!_ She's brought into reality by Jackie's voice.

" _Alright, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do."_ she asked

"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid." Harriet suggested.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose asked.

" _There's loads of emergency numbers. They're all on voicemail."_

"Voicemail dooms us all."

"If we could just get out of here." Rose said in frustration.

"There is one way out. Isn't there?" April spoke and looked at the Doctor.

"Yes, there is."

"What?" Rose said.

"There's always been a way out."

"Then why don't we use it?"

"Because I can't guarantee you daughter will be safe." the Doctor bowed his head and spoke to the phone.

" _Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare."_

"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies."

"Do it." Rose told him firmly and the Doctor looked at her in amazement.

"You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?"

"Yeah."

"How about you?" The Doctor asked April.

"If we can stop the Slitheen then it's worth it."

" _Please Doctor. Please. She's my daughter. She's just a kid."_

"Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

"Then what're you waiting for?" Rose asked him.

"I could save the world but lose you."

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine." Harriet interrupted.

" _And who the hell are you?"_ Jackie asked.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it."

April smiled, _typical mom. Helping him making the choice he must choose._

"How do we get out?" Rose asked.

"We don't. We stay here." the Doctor got the Emergency Protocols from the Red Box.

"Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything."

" _What are you doing?"_ Jackie asked Mickey.

" _Hacking into the Royal Navy. We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth."_

"Right, we need to select a missile."

" _We can't go nuclear. We don't have the defense codes."_

"We don't need it. All we need's an ordinary missile. What's the first category?"

" _Sub Harpoon, UGM-4A4."_

"That's the one. Select."

" _I could stop you."_

" _Do it then."_

"Mickey the Idiot, the world is in your hands. Fire."

There's a big whoosh indicating that the missile is on its way to 10 Downing Street.

"How solid are these?" Harriet asked.

"Not solid enough. Built for short range attack, nothing this big."

"All right, now I'm making the decision. I'm not going to die. We're going to ride this one out. It's like what they say about earthquakes. You can survive them by standing under a door frame. Now, this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me. Come on." Rose says and started clearing out the cupboard alongside Harriet and April.

" _It's on radar. Counter defense five five six"_

"Stop them intercepting it."

" _I'm doing it now."_

"Good boy."

" _Five five six neutralised."_

The Doctor unplugged the phone and entered the cupboard where Rose, April and Harriet are waiting. He closed the door and sat in the floor. They grabbed each other's hands.

"Here we go. Nice knowing you all. Hannibal!" Harriet says as the missile hit the building.

The cupboard shook violently and rolled through the remains of the building inside its steel shell. When the cupboard stopped moving, the Doctor pushed the steel door off and Harriet stepped out.

"Made in Britain."

A young man rushed over to Harriet as the Doctor helped Rose and April out of the cupboard.

"Oh, my God. Are you all right?"

"Harriet Jones, MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this out. Oh, Lord. we haven't even got a Prime Minister." She told them.

"Maybe you should have a go." The Doctor suggests.

"Me? Huh. I'm only a back-bencher."

"I'd vote for you." Rose told her.

"Now, don't be silly. Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Hang on!"

Harriet made her way down the pile of rubble. April following slowly behind.

"We're safe! The Earth is safe! Sergeant!"

As April walked away, she overhead the Doctor talking to Rose.

"I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age."

April frowned, _how could he know that. Wait…_

"The crisis has passed! Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to say to you all here today! Mankind stands tall, proud and undefeated. God bless the human race."

April turned around and decided to follow the Doctor and Rose who were walking to the Powell Estate. Rose said goodbye to the Doctor as she went to see her mother and April followed the Doctor into an alley.

"Why are you following me?" The Doctor said and turned around to face April, who had the deer caught in the headlights look.

"I was curious. You revealed that you are not human, and you somehow know how to travel through time. So... I kinda wanted to see your spaceship." She bit her lip, waiting for him to yell at her.

He looked at her bewildered.

"How do you know I travel through time?"

"I thought Rose looked familiar, then I realised she's the girl who went missing a year ago at the same time the mannequins went crazy. Then I heard you talking about mom becoming prime minister for three terms. You could only know that if you know the future." she explained and realised her logic wasn't exactly foolproof.

The Doctor beamed at her.

"Right then. Let me show you my ship."

"Really?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah."

April followed the Doctor to a blue box.

"Here we are"

April stared at the police box in front of her.

"Is this it?"

"Yes, it's called a TARDIS, Time And Relative Dimension In Space."

"It's a blue box. A police box."

"Yeah"

"A police box with graffiti on."

"What?!"

April pointed to the side of the TARDIS, were the words 'Bad Wolf' were graffitied on, and the Doctor went to inspect it.

"Wait here for a minute."

The Doctor went to find the culprit and returned a couple of minutes later with a kid.

"Wash that off will you" he told the kid and held the door to the TARDIS open.

"Well then come on" He said to April.

"Inside the box."

"Yes."

The Doctor went inside and April stared for a moment, only to shrug and follow him. The inside was nothing she could ever have imagined. The was a big console in the middle of a giant room. April gaped in amazement and she felt the gentle purr from the machine.

"Wow."

The Doctor leaned up against the console.

"So, what do you think?"

"It's bigger on the inside."

"Yes"

"And it travels through time and space."

"Yes. Want to come?"

April stared at him.

"Are you serious? Why?"

"I like you. You're not an idiot. What do you say?"

"I can come with you?"

"Yes, anywhere in time and space."

"I would like to come"

"Great. I'll have the Tardis built a room for you. Let me call Rose."

"Is it alright if I look around?

"Of course. Go ahead."

* * *

It was two hours later and night had fallen. April had gone to say goodbye to her mother and Mickey were sitting in a rubbish bin reading the newspaper.

"I just went down the shop, and I was thinking, you know, like the whole world's changes. Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is." He told the Doctor and showed him the headlines: **ALIEN HOAX**

"How could they do that? They saw it."

"They're just not ready. You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face, nope, can't see it. There's a scientific explanation for that. You're thick."

"We're just idiots."

"Well, not all of you."

"Yeah?"

"Present for you, Mickey."

He gives Mickey a CD.

"That's a virus. Put it online. It'll destroy every mention of me. I'll cease to exist."

"What do you want to do that for?"

"Because you're right, I am dangerous. I don't want anybody following me."

At this moment Jackie and Rose exits the apartment block and April walked around the corner and towards the TARDIS.

"How can you say that and then take her with you?"

"You could look after her. Come with us."

"I can't. This life of yours, it's just too much. I couldn't do it. Don't tell her I said that."

Rose and Jackie approached the Doctor and Mickey.

"I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends. I'll pass my test, and if Jim comes round again, I'll say no. I really will" Jackie told her daughter.

"I'm not leaving because of you. I'm travelling, that's all, and then I'll come back."

"But it's not safe."

"Mom, if you saw it out there you'd never stay home."

"Got enough stuff?" The Doctor asked her and glanced at Rose's bag.

"Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment. Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me."

She handed the doctor her rucksack and went over to Mickey.

"Come with us. There's plenty of room."

"No chance. He's a liability, I'm not having him on board." The Doctor said saving Mickey form humiliation.

"We'd be dead without him."

"My decision is final."

"Sorry."

Rose and Mickey kiss goodbye.

"Good luck, yeah."

"You still can't promise me. What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and she's left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away. How long do I wait then?"

"Mom, you're forgetting. It's a time machine. I could go travelling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe, and by the time I get back, yeah, ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds. So stop worrying. See you in ten seconds' time, yeah?"

Jackie and Rose hug goodbye and April enters the TARDIS followed by the Doctor and Rose. As the TARDIS started to dematerialise, Rose turned to April.

"You ready for this?"

April grinned at her.

"Definitely."

"Just know, there is going to be an awful lot of running."

"Great! I love running!"

* * *

 **So, what did you think?**

 **Review replies:**

 **NicoleR85:** Thanks, glad you like it. I will try to update on a regular basis during the summer and have plenty of chapters written for the school year, so I'll manage to update at least once a week.

 **Bomberguy789:** Thanks! I didn't think of a reason to why she should be there, it completely slipped my mind, but I always imagined that Harriet dragged her along. More of April's background will be revealed in different chapters, this includes her parents. In my original story April is adopted and she still is in this one. I did have it in the first draft of this chapter, but it didn't suit the tone. Harriet is stubborn and that's why April didn't stop her, because she knew Harriet wouldn't listen, you're right, I should probably have written that. I'm trying to have as few spelling mistakes as possible, English is not my native language, but I'm trying my best. Some words go missing when I transport my documents, so I will definitely make sure to proofread it better. Netflix in my country only has season 5 - 9, so I am using my memory, transcripts and clips I've found on YouTube while writing. I appreciate the fact you took your time to tell me all of this and I promise I'll take it into account.

 **Thanks to:**

Mep101

bella cullen the original

Dark Conspiracy

NicoleR85

Turner1999

Kris2025

matthewcortes93

colorfulimagination123

Isabelnecessaryonabicycle

SeleneAlice

mizukiaichan1

Charmed2100

 **For following and favoriting this story.**

 **Next chapter should be up in two days, I'm going on a family trip tomorrow.**

 **Stay safe.**


	3. Dalek

**Here's to chapter three! I must warn you there is torture in this chapter, nothing to descriptive, but since I wrote it I don't know how it will affect others, so you have been warned. It won't be hard to miss, it's just after the first line break.**

 **Disclaimer: Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced and owned by the BBC and created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson. Any character recognised belong to the BBC.**

* * *

The TARDIS materialised in a dimly lit area with carpeting and display cases. The Doctor, Rose and April exited the TARDIS. Rose is wearing jeans with a white tank top and white sneakers with her hair down, while April was wearing white trousers, black ankle boots and a white and yellow plaid shirt with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The Doctor was wearing his usual black leather jacket.

"So, what is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked as they stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Don't know. Some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course."

"Where are we?"

"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground."

 _Underground? Interesting… What's so important they want to keep people out?_

"And, when are we?"

"2012." The Doctor said while looking at a display case, April was looking at the one next to him.

"God, that's so close. So, I should be twenty-six."

"Hmm, depending on the time of the year, I would be twenty-eight or twenty-nine."

 _God, well I feel old. Wonder how the Doctor's feeling?_

The Doctor found a light switch and things become clearer. They were standing in a long hallway with a red carpet. On every side of the carpet were different things in glass montres.

"Blimey. It's a great big museum." Rose said.

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. They must have spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. That's the milometer form the Roswell spaceship."

"That's a bit of Slitheen! That's a Slitheen's arm. It's been stuffed." Rose exclaimed excited and April walked over to look at it closely.

"Oh, look at you." The Doctor said making Rose and April look at what he was looking at. It appeared to be metalhead.

"What is it?" April asked curiously.

"An old friend of mine. Well, enemy. The stuff of nightmare reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."

"Well… You are in your 900s." April teased, making the Doctor smile.

"Is that where the signal is coming from?" Rose asked.

"No, it's stone dead. The signal is alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help."

The Doctor touches the display case and an alarm went off.

"And it didn't occur to you they might have an alarm on all this stuff?" April scolded.

Armed guards rushed in from all sides and cut them off from the TARDIS.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A." Rose told the Doctor.

"Yeah, maybe don't tell them that." April warned her and nodded towards the guards.

As the Doctor, Rose and April are brought into another room they can see a younger man standing behind a desk showing an older man a curved, palm sized object.

"What does it do?" The older man asked.

"Well, you see the tubes on the side? It must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel."

The Doctor chooses this moment to interrupt.

"I really wouldn't hold it like that." he advised.

"Shut it!"

"Really, though, that's wrong."

"Is it dangerous?" the younger man asked. _At least he is somewhat concerned about an alien device._

"No, it just looks silly." the Doctor said and reached for the item only for firing bolts to click all around him. The older man hands him the object.

"You just need to be." the Doctor said and stroked the artefact making a note. "Delicate."

The Doctor played several different notes and April smiled in amazement.

"It's a musical instrument." _Well observed._

"And it's a long way from home."

"Here, let me." the older man said and took the instrument. His touch was way harsher than the Doctor's and some not nice sound are produced as a result.

"I did say delicate. It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision." the Doctor advised, and the older man finally got the hang of it.

"Very good. Quite the expert." The Doctor complimented.

"As are you." The older man said and carelessly tossed the instrument onto the floor, removing April's smile.

"Who are you exactly?" The older man demanded.

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?"

"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"The question is, how did you get in? Fifty-three floors down, with you little cat burglar accomplices. You're quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty."

 _Did you just compare us to objects?!_

"She's going to smack you if you keep calling her they." Rose threatened.

"We got names, you know. And we are not objects." April followed.

"They're English too! Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy. Got you a couple of girlfriends."

" This is Mister Henry Van Statten." 'Lord Fauntleroy' explained.

"And who's he when he's at home?" _Probably alone..._

" Mister Van Statten owns the internet." _Okay, how can you own the internet?_

Apparently, Rose thought along the same lines as April.

"Don't be stupid. No one owns the internet."

"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Van Statten advised.

"So, you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up."

"And you claim greater knowledge?"

" I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am." _Here we go._

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me."

"The cage contained my own living specimen."

"And what's that?"

"Like you don't know."

"Show me."

"You want to see it?"

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone."

"Rose!" April berated but she couldn't hold back a snigger.

"Goddard inform the Cage we're heading down. you, English. Look after the girls. Go and canoodle or spoon or whatever it is you British do. And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet."

Van Statten began to walk, and Rose walked over to "English". April looked a bit uncomfortable at Van Stattens instructions to canoodle and the Doctor took pity on her.

"Come along April." She looked at the Doctor in shock.

"Really, why?"

"You'd rather be stuck with these two?"

April looked over at Rose and Mr. English Guy who were shooting each other lovesick looks. _Eugh, teenagers. Rose's too good for him._

"Alright, point taken." April said and followed the Doctor.

When they made it to the outside of the cage, Van Statten started to explain.

"We've tried everything. The creature has shielded itself but there's definite signs of life inside.

"Inside? Inside what?"

A scientist walked over to the group.

"Welcome back, sir. I've had to take the power down. The Metaltron is resting."

"Metaltron?"

"Thought of it myself. Good isn't it? Although I'd much prefer to find out it's real name."

 _Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_ The guy from before, whose name was Simmons, handed the Doctor a pair of gauntlets.

"Here, you'd better put these on. The last guy that touched it burst into flames."

"I won't touch it then."

"Go ahead, Doctor. Impress me, but your girlfriend has to stay behind."

"I'm not his girlfriend," April snapped, "but I'll stay behind."

The doctor steps through the heavy doors and they closed behind him.

"Don't open that do until we get a result." Van Statten orders and he and Goddard goes to a desk with monitors on it and April looked over their shoulders to see the Doctor inside the cage. There's dark inside the cage, but April knows he's there since he started talking right after the doors closed behind him.

" _Look, I'm sorry about this. Mister Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. I've come to help. I'm the Doctor."_

As soon as the word "Doctor" has left his mouth the Metaltron seems to wake up. A white light blinks nest to a blue glow.

" _Doc Tor?"_ The Metaltron questions. _How do they know each other?_

" _Impossible."_ April couldn't see the Doctor's face, but she had a feeling it was a mixture of shock, anger, and fear, because that seemed to be what his voice were full off.

" _The Doctor?"_

The lights come on and revealed what seemed to be a bad-tempered pepper pot being held in chains.

" _Exterminate! Exterminate!"_

April walks away from the monitor in horror. It may be chained up, but it scared her. It seemed to scare the Doctor as well as he starts hammering on the door in terror.

" _Let me out!"_

" _Exterminate!"_

"Sir, it's going to kill him." Goddard said pressing for the order to open the doors, but Van Statten didn't seem to care.

"It's talking!"

"Are you crazy?! Get him out of there!" April yelled angrily and ran to the door, looking for a way to open it.

" _You are an enemy of the Daleks! You must be destroyed!"_

 _Dalek, so that's the name for it. Now remember what Dumbledore said: Fear for the name only increase fear for the person itself._ Only April was still scared. Something must have gone wrong with the Dalek, because the Doctor started to mock it.

" _It's not working"_

The Doctor laughed, and April worried for a moment that he had gone mad.

" _Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless! Look at you. The great space dustbin. How does it feel?"_

" _Keep back!"_

The Doctor stood inches away, staring into its eyepiece.

" _What for? What're you going to do to me? If you can't kill, then what are you good for Dalek? What's the point of you? You're nothing. What the hell are you here for?"_

" _I am waiting for orders"_

" _What does that mean?"_

" _I am a soldier. I was bred to receive orders."_

" _Well you're never going to get any. Not ever."_

" _I demand orders!"_

" _They're never going to come! Your race is dead! You all burnt, all of you. Ten million ships on fire. The entire Dalek race wiped out in one second."_

" _You lie!"_

" _I watched it happen. I made it happen."_

" _You destroyed us?"_

" _I had no choice."_

" _And what of the Time Lords?"_

" _Dead. They burned with you. The end of the last great Time Was. Everyone lost."_

" _And the coward survived."_

" _Oh, and I caught your little signal. Help me. Poor little thing. But there's no one else coming_

' _cause there's no one else left."_

" _I am alone in the universe."_

" _Yep."_

April's breath hitched because somehow, she couldn't help feeling sorry for the Dalek. To lose everything. _Just like the Doctor…_

" _So are you. We are the same."_

" _We're not the same! I'm not."_ The Doctor stopped as if debating with himself.

" _No, wait. Maybe we are. You're right. Yeah, okay. You've got a point." 'Cause I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve. Exterminate."_

April froze in horror. _Please Doctor, you are only the same if you do this._

The Doctor pulls a lever on a nearby console and the Dalek lit up with electricity.

" _Have pity!"_

" _Why should I? You never did."_

Van Statten turned around to order his guards.

"Get him out!"

"Oh, now you care! Not when the Doctor could have been killed but when he might destroy your precious "Metaltron"." April yelled at him although she realised she was being silly.

The Doctor was causing the Dalek more harm than this Dalek had caused the Doctor and right now she was terrified of the Doctor."

" _Help me!"_ The Dalek yelled as guards grabbed the Doctor as he went to ramp up the voltage again.

"I saved your life. Now talk to me. Goddamn in, talk to me!" Van Statten demanded not even thinking about turning off the electricity. Simmons did.

"You've got to destroy it!" The Doctor yelled as he was being dragged out of the cage."

"The last in the universe. And now I know your name. Dalek. Speak to me, Dalek. I am Henry Van Statten, now recognize me! Make it talk again, Simmons. Whatever it takes."

The Doctor was released when he exited the cage and he would have turned back if it wasn't for April suddenly hugging him. The Doctor was surprised but hugged her back.

"I'm sorry." She whispered in his ear and the Doctor realised he must have scared her as she was trembling, but he was not quite sure of what she was apologizing for.

"When you two are done canoodling, I would like a word with you." Van Statten said, and they separated.

When they got into a lift the Doctor explained away about the Dalek.

"The metal's just battle armour. The real Dalek creature inside."

"What does it look like?"

"A nightmare. It's a mutation. The Dalek race was genetically engineered. Every single emotion was removed except hate."

"Genetically engineered. By whom?"

"By a genius, Van Statten. by a man who was king of his own world. You'd like him."

"It's been on earth for over fifty years. Sold at a private auction, moving from one collection to another. Why would it be a threat now?" Goddard asked.

"Because I'm here." April hesitated before grabbing his hand and squeezing it, letting him know that it was not his fault.

"How did it here to Earth? Does anyone know?" April asked, still holding the Doctor's hand, he didn't seem to mind.

"The records say it came from the sky like a meteorite. It fell to Earth on the Ascension Islands. Burnt in its crater for three days before anybody could get neat it and all that time it was screaming. It must have gone insane."

"It must have fallen through time. The only survivor."

"You talked about a war."

"The Time War. The final battle between my people and the Dalek race."

"But you survived too." Van Statten jumped in and April had a suspicion where this were going.

"Not by choice."

"This means that the Dalek isn't the only alien on Earth. Doctor, there's you. The only one of your kind in existence, and who knows, maybe this little girlie of yours is another alien too."

April stood closer to the Doctor and this time it was his turn to squeeze her hand as the look Van Statten send them could only be described as thing: Hungry.

* * *

In another cage the Doctor is stripped to his chest and chained to one device, while April was chained up, stripped like the Doctor, only difference being she still had a bra on.

"Now, smile!"

A painful laser scan runs threw the Doctor's body, and he contorts in pain.

"Two hearts! Binary vascular system. Oh, I am so going to patent this."

"So that's your secret. You don't just collect this stuff, you scavenge it."

"This technology has been falling to Earth for centuries. All it took was the right mind to use it properly. Oh, the advances I've made from alien junk. You have no idea, Doctor. Broadband? Roswell. Just last year my scientists cultivated bacteria from the Russian crater, and do you know what we found? The cure for the common cold. Kept it strictly within the laboratory of course. No need to get people excited. Why sell one cure when I can sell a thousand palliatives?"

"Do you know what a Dalek is, Van Statten? A Dalek is honest. It does what it was born to do for the survival of its species. That creature in your dungeon is better than you."

"In that case, I will be true to myself and continue."

"Listen to me!" That thing downstairs is going to kill every last one of us!"

"Nothing can escape the cage. Now let's see with the girl." Van Statten said and went to start the scan.

"No don't!" The Doctor yells, but he's stop late.

Van Statten starts the scan and April is in more pain than she's ever been in before. _Oh, God. It HURTS!_ The Doctor stares in horror as April cries out in pain. He knows it's causing her more pain than it caused him, because their biology is different, and this could kill her.

"Stop it!" He tells, and Van Statten do.

"Pity, just a simple human." Van Statten complains, but the Doctor is more worried about April, who is hanging limb from the chains and for a moment he is scared that Van Statten killed her.

"April! April! Are you alright?!"

April fights to lift up her head and makes eye contact with him. His eyes are clouded with worry and April nods weakly at the Doctor.

"Shame, I can't keep you. You would have made a wonderful addition to my collection." Van Statten says as he walks up to April and releases her.

She falls weakly until the floor but fights to get up. Van Statten grabs her shirt and throws it at her, then he grabs her and tosses her out the cell, where she leans up against the now closed door, before putting on her shirt and goes looking for Rose, to warn her of the Dalek. As much as it pains her, she knows she can't help the Doctor, she is too weak. Inside the Cage the Doctor stares at the door, worried. He turns back to face Van Statten.

"It's woken up. The Dalek's woken up. It knows I'm here. It's going to get out. Van Statten, I swear. No one on this base is safe. No one on this planet!"

He tries to make him understand but Van Statten just runs the laser scan again, so he can hear the Doctor scream. Suddenly something happens.

" _Condition red! Condition red! I repeat this is not a drill!"_

The Doctor makes eye contact with Van Statten, because as much as he hates him, there are people in this building he cares about.

"Release me if you want to live." His voice is rough with pain

By some miracle Van Statten does release the Doctor and they hurry to his office. The Doctor is worried. While on the way to the office he scanned for Rose and April and they were nowhere to be seen. In the office they can see the cage on a large TV hanging on the walls. And the Doctor is not surprised to see Rose is there.

"You've got to keep it in the cell."

" _Doctor, it's all my fault."_ Rose apologized, but right now he couldn't care less. he had more important stuff to do.

" _I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations. "_ A guard on screen informs him.

"A Dalek's a genius. it can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat." And he wishes he wasn't right as the door opens.

" _Open fire."_

" Don't shoot it! I want it unharmed."

" _Rose, get out of there! And if you find April get her out with you!"_

" _De Maggio take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?"_

The woman guard obeys.

" _You, with me."_

The Dalek glides up to the wall monitor and smashes it, absorbing the electricity. It's battered armour starts to mend, turning from brown to golden.

" _Abandoning the Cage, sir."_

"We're losing power. It's draining the base. Oh, my god. it's draining entire power supplies for the whole of Utah." Goddard informs them.

"It's downloading."

"Downloading what?"

"Sir, the entire West Coast has gone down."

"It's not just energy. That Dalek just absorbed the entire internet. It knows everything."

" _The Daleks survive in me!"_

The Dalek uses its weapon on its surroundings.

"The cameras in the vault have gone down."

"We've only got emergency power. It's eaten everything else. You've got to kill it now!"

"All guards to converge in the Metaltron cage, immediately."

* * *

In the corridor De Maggio is getting Rose and Adam to safety.

"Civilians! Let them through!"

Rose, Adam and de Maggio run through the incoming phalanx of guards. Suddenly April comes running from who knows where and Rose immediately spots her.

"April!"

"Rose! Thank God!"

They quickly hug and takes off running. As they run this is what they hear:

"Cover the north wall. Red division maintain suppressing fire along the perimeter. Blue division argh!"

* * *

In the office Van Statten is getting on the Doctor's nerves.

"Tell them to stop shooting at it." He demands.

"But it's killing them!" Goddard tries to get some sense into him.

"They're dispensable. That Dalek is unique. I don't want a scratch on its bodywork, do you hear me? Do you hear me?"

The gunfire stops, but only because there is no one left to shoot at it. Goddard calls up a schematic of the base.

"That's us, right below the surface. That's the cage, and that's the Dalek"

"This museum of yours. Have you got any alien weapons?"

"Lots of them, but the trouble is the Dalek's between us and them"

"We've got to keep that thing alive. We could just seal the entire vault, trap it down there."

"Leaving everyone trapped with it. Rose and April are down there. I won't let that happen. Have you got that? It's got to go through this area. What's that?"

"Weapons testing."

"Give guns to the technicians, the lawyers, anyone. Everyone. Only then have you got a chance of killing it."

* * *

Rose, April, Adam and De Maggio runs towards a staircase.

"Stairs! That's more like it. It hasn't got legs. It's stuck"

April wasn't sure about that, but she did not have the energy to tell Rose that.

"It's coming! Get up!" De Maggio orders and they run a flight and all, but April looks down on the Dalek. April is leaning against the wall, paleface.

"Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs."

"Now listen to me. I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate then I can guarantee that Mister van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong, but people have died, and that stops right now. The killing stops. Have you got that? I demand that you surrender. Is that clear?"

"Elevate"

The gang stares in horror as the Dalek glides up the stairs.

"Oh my God."

"Adam, get them out of here."

"Come with us. You can't stop it"

"Someone's got to try. Now get out! Don't look back. Just run." it was hard for them not to look back as they here the Dalek kill her.

-o-o-

"I thought you were the great expert, Doctor. If you're so impressive, then why not just reason with this Dalek? It must be willing to negotiate. There must be something it needs. Everything needs something."

"What's the nearest town?"

"Salt Lake City."

"Population?"

"One million."

"All dead. If the Dalek gets out, it'll murder every living creature. That's all it needs."

"But why would it do that?"

"Because it honestly believes they should die. Human beings are different, and anything different is wrong. It's the ultimate in racial cleansing and you, Van Statten, you've let it loose! The Dalek's surrounded by a force field. The bullets are melting before they even hit home, but it's not indestructible. If you concentrate your fire, you might get through. Aim for the dome, the head, the eyepiece. That's the weak spot"

* * *

In the loading bay, the commander was the one receiving instructions from the Doctor.

"Thank you, Doctor, but I think I know how to fight one single tin robot. Positions!"

His men take cover in various corners, packing cases, boxes and up on a catwalk with him, as Rose, April and Adam come running into view.

"Hold your fire. You three, get the hell out of there."

They run past a guard at the entrance. The Dalek enters, turns and zooms in on Rose's face. They get out of the bay.

"It was looking at me." Rose told April and Adam nervously.

"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us." Adam told her.

"I know, but it was looking right at me."

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing. It's looking all around"

"I don't know. It's like there's something inside, looking at me, like, like it knows me."

They keep running and Rose notices April is falling behind so she grabs her hand and helps her along.

* * *

"We've got vision." Goddard informs them.

"It wants us to see."

The TV shows them the loading bay where a hail of bullets had no effect. Then the Dalek rises straight into the air. It zaps the fire alarm and the sprinklers are set off. Once the concrete floor is cover with a layer of water, it fired downwards and electrocutes every wet person on the ground.

" _Fall back! Fall back."_

The commander yells and the Dalek kill him and the rest of his men with another strategic shot, then continues to hang there, water pouring down its shell, crying in the rain. Van Statten is the first to break the silence in the office.

"Perhaps it's time for a new strategy. Maybe we should consider abandoning this place."

"Except there's no power to the helipad, sir. we can't get out." Goddard reminds him.

"You said we could seal the vault" The Doctor says, hating himself for what he's about to do.

"It was designed to ne a bunker in the event of nuclear war. Steel bulkheads."

"There's not enough power, those bulkheads are massive."

"We've got emergency power. We can reroute that to the bulkhead doors."

"We'd have to bypass the security codes. That would take a computer genius."

"Good thing you've got me, then."

"You want to help?"

"I don't want to die, Doctor. Simple as that. And nobody knows this software better than me."

"Sir." Goddard says, drawing their attention back to the screen. The Dalek is back on the ground.

" _I shall speak only to the Doctor."_

"You're going to get rusty."

" _I fed off the DNA of Rose Tyler. Extrapolating the biomass of a time traveller regenerated_

 _me."_

"What's your next trick?"

" _I have been searching for the Daleks."_

"Yeah, I saw. Downloading the internet. What did you find?"

" _I scanned your satellites and radio telescopes."_

"And?"

" _Nothing. Where shall I get my orders now?"_

"You're just a soldier without commands."

" _Then I shall follow the Primary Order, the Dalek instinct to destroy, to conquer."_

"What for? What's the point? don't you see it's all gone? Everything you were, everything you stood for."

" _Then what should I do?"_

"All right, then. If you want orders, follow this one. Kill yourself."

" _The Daleks must survive!"_

"The Daleks have failed! Why don't you finish the job and make the Daleks extinct. Rid the Universe of your filth. Why don't you just die?"

" _You would make a good Dalek."_

And with that the screen goes blank.

"Seal the Vault."

"I can leech the power off the ground defences, feed it to the bulkheads. God, it's been years since I had to work this fast."

"Are you enjoying this?"

Before he got an answer, Goddard said something that made his hearts drop.

"Doctor, they are still down there."

* * *

While running up a staircase Rose's phone begins to ring.

"This isn't the best time." The doctor is on the other side of the phone call.

" _Where are you? Do you have April?"_

"I got her! We are at level forty-nine."

" _You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level forty-six."_

"Can't you stop them closing?"

" _I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait, and I can't help you. Now for god's sake, run."_

* * *

"Done it. We've got power to the bulkheads."

"The Dalek's right behind them."

" _We're nearly there. Give us two seconds."_

"Doctor, I can't sustain the power. The whole system is failing. Doctor, you've got to close the bulkheads."

"I'm sorry."

The doctor takes a deep breath and hits enter. A laxon sounds and the bulkhead starts to lower.

* * *

"Come on!" Adam yells as he rolls under the bulkhead with eighteen inches to spare, but Rose and April are too late.

" _Rose, where are you? Rose did you and April make it?"_

"Sorry, we were a bit slow."

The Dalek comes around the corner. April had fallen against the bulkhead after it closed, electrocution and running having drained her energy. She looks to Rose and mouths: _You know what to say._

"See you, then, Doctor. It wasn't your fault. Remember that, okay? It wasn't your fault. And you know what? April and I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

April stood and grabbed Rose's hand as they faced the Dalek.

"Exterminate."

* * *

The Doctor heard the word and ripped off his earpiece and stared at nothing in disbelief.

"I killed them."

"I'm sorry." Sorry, Van Statten had the nerve to say he was sorry?

"I said I'd protect them. They were only here because of me, and you're sorry? I could've killed that Dalek in its cell, but you stopped me."

"It was the prize of my collection!"

"Your collection? but was it worth it? Worth all those men's deaths? Worth Rose? Worth April? Let me tell you something, Van Statten. Mankind goes into space to explore, to be part of something greater."

"Exactly! I wanted to touch the stars!"

"You just want to drag the stars down and stick them underground, underneath tons of sand and dirt, and label them. You're about as far from the stars as you can get. And you took them down with you. April was twenty-two, Rose was only nineteen years old."

* * *

At level 46 by the closed bulkhead, April and Rose are surprised to find themselves alive, the Dalek pointing its gun at them.

"Go on the, kill us. Why're you doing this?" Rose askes.

"I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose."

"They're all dead because of you."

"They are dead because of us."

"And now what? What're you waiting for?"

"I feel you fear."

"What do you expect?"

"Daleks do not fear. Must not fear."

The Dalek shoots at either side of the bulkhead door.

"You gave me life. What else have you given me? I am contaminated."

* * *

In the office Adam enters and has the Doctor on his case.

"You were quick on your feet, leaving Rose and April behind."

"I'm not the one who sealed the vault!" Adam threw in his face and the Doctor turned around to be greeted an image of Rose, April and the Dalek.

" _Open the bulkhead or Rose Tyler and April Jones dies."_

The Doctor thought his hearts were going to burst with joy.

"You're alive!"

" _Can't get rid of us."_

"I thought you were dead."

The Doctor looked at Rose until he noticed the condition April was in. April was pale, slightly shaking and if she wasn't holding on to Rose's hand he was sure she would collapse.

" _Open the bulkhead!"_ The Dalek demanded.

" _Don't do it!"_ Rose pleaded.

" _What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?"_

"I killed them once, I can't do it again."

He opens the bulkhead and Rose, April and the Dalek walk through.

"What do we do know, you bleeding heart. What the hell, do we do?"

"Kill it when it gets here." Adam said.

"All the guns are useless, and the alien weapons are in the vault."

"Only the catalogued ones."

* * *

In the lift on the way to the office Rose Tyler we're both scared and worried. She didn't know what April had been through, but she feared that if she didn't get help soon, it could end bad. Rose decided focus on something she could do, because right now she could not help April.

"I'm begging you, don't kill them. You didn't kill us."

"But why not? Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?"

They arrived in the office and where meet by Van Statten.

"Don't move. Don't do anything. it's beginning to question itself."

"Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?"

"I wanted to help you. I just, I don't know. I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!"

By this point Van Statten is backed up against the wall.

"Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"Don't do it! Don't kill him! You don't have to do this anymore. There must be something else, not just killing. What else is there? What do you want?"

"I want freedom."

Rose and April accompany the Dalek to a corridor on level one where the Dalek blasts a hole in the roof, and a shaft of sunlight streams down straight onto its eyepiece.

"You're out. You made it. I never thought I'd feel the sunlight again."

"How does it feel?"

The Dalek opens its middle and dome sections to reveal the one-eyed mutant within. It holds out a tendril and April can't decide if she thinks it looks pitiful or cute. Suddenly the doctor turns up with a gun.

"Get out of the way. Rose, April, get out of the way now!"

"No. I won't let you do this."

"That things killed hundreds of people."

"It's not the one pointing a gun at us."

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left."

"Look at it."

Only now does the Doctor notice the dome is open.

"What's it doing?"

"It's the sunlight, that's all it wants."

"But it can't."

"It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill me, it couldn't kill April. it's changing. What about you, Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?"

"I couldn't. I wasn't. Oh, Rose. They're all dead." The Doctor said and faced the gun away.

"Why do we survive?" The Dalek asked him.

"I don't know."

"I am the last of the Daleks."

"You're not even that. Rose did more than regenerate you. You've absorbed her DNA. You're mutating.

"Into what?"

"Something new. I'm sorry."

"Isn't that better?"

"Not for a Dalek."

"I can feel so many ideas. So much darkness. Rose, give me orders. Order me to die."

"I can't do that."

"This is not life. This is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction! Obey! Obey! Obey!"

"Do it."

"Are you frightened, Rose Tyler?"

"Yeah."

"So am I. Exterminate."

The Dalek shuts its eye. Rose retreats, her hand still tightly holding on to Aprils, as its armour again rises into the air. The balls on its lower body spread out around it creating a forcefield then it implodes safely.

* * *

A short time later in the corridor Van Statten is under guard by some of those who made it to safety.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Two hundred personnel dead, and all because of you, sir. Take him away, wipe his memory, and leave him by the road someplace."

"You can't do this to me. I am Henry van Statten!"

"And by tonight, Henry van Statten will be a homeless, brainless junkie living on the streets of San Diego, Seattle, Sacramento. Someplace beginning with S."

As they are about to take Van Statten away April walked up to them on her shaky two legs, followed by the Doctor and Rose. April whispers something to Goddard who smiles and nods. April walks over to where Van Statten is standing and smiles at him, then, to the shock of all, she slaps him on the right check.

"That's for me!"

Slap on the left check.

"That's for Rose!"

She knees Van Statten in the Stomach.

"That's for the Doctor!"

And then she made every guy wince as she kicks Van Statten in his private area.

"And that's for every person who died because of your precious collection!"

Van Statten is taken away, bruises forming on his face, and April faces the Doctor and Rose, who looks at her in shock and amazement. The Doctor manages to catch her when her knees buckle.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I really shouldn't use all my energy when I don't have any."

* * *

By the TARDIS in the museum, April is leaning on the TARDIS as the Doctor sends her worried looks.

"A little piece of home. Better than nothing."

"Is that the end of it, the Time War?"

"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that?"

"The Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too?"

"I'd know. In here." the Doctor points to his head. "Feels like there's no one."

"Well then, good thing I'm not going anywhere."

"Neither am I" April piped up.

"Yeah."

At this point Adam come running in.

"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared. They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it full of cement, like it never existed."

"About time."

"I'll have to go back home."

"Better hurry up then. Next flight to Heathrow leaves at fifteen hundred hours."

"Adam was saying that all his life he wanted to see the stars."

"Tell him to go and stand outside, then."

"He's all on his own, Doctor, and he did help."

"He left you and April down there."

"So, did you."

"What're you talking about? We've got to leave."

"Plus, he's a bit pretty."

"I hadn't noticed."

"On your own head.

The Doctor unlocks the Tardis and helps April up.

"What're you doing? She said cement. She wasn't joking. We're going to get sealed in.

The Doctor, April and Rose goes inside the TARDIS and April sits down on a seat.

"Doctor? What're you doing standing inside a box? Rose?"

Adam creeps inside the TARDIS and the Doctor takes off. When the Doctor has gotten the TARDIS to the right place in space, he looks to see Adam standing there gaping, Rose looking at Adam amused and April who looked near unconsciousness.

"Right. Rose while you take care of that." The Doctor gestures to Adam. "I'm gonna take care of this." He gestures to April and picks her up bridal style and walked towards the med-bay.

As soon as they are there, he gently lays April down on the bed and scans her. She's had burns on a majority of her chest, her heartbeat is very fast and irregular, her blood pressure had dropped, and her kidneys are near failure. It's a wonder she managed to make through it all.

"April, I'm so sorry."

There was only one thing he could do. He stood over her and healed her with regeneration energy. Then he sat by her bed and waited for her to wake up.

* * *

When April woke it took her some time to remember what happened and where she was. She looked to her left where The Doctor was sitting with his back to her reading a book.

"Doctor." He jumped at her voice, which sounded dry.

"April. Glad to see you awake." He sounded relieved and handed her a glass of water.

"Thanks. How long?" She asked before she started drinking.

"You have been out for twelve hours." She sat her now empty water glass down and he looked at her worried.

"How are you feeling?" He sat by her bed again.

"I'm feeling alright. What's that thing you did? When your hands turned golden?"

"Oh, you saw that?"

"I did."

"When a Time Lord is dying, we don't die. We regenerate. New body, new voice, sometimes new gender. But we are still the same person. I used a bit of my regeneration energy and healed you up. not enough to stop scarring, but enough for you to be healed."

"Cool, now tell me what's bothering you?"

"How do you know something is bothering me?

"I can tell. You have a look."

"April. I'm sorry about what Van Statten did to you. I should never have brought you down there."

April sat up and took the Doctor's hand.

"Listen to me carefully, Doctor. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault. You get that. None of it was your fault. I don't blame you, so don't you dare blame yourself."

"Alright."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Good."

April laid down and snuggled into her pillow.

"Now get out so I can get some sleep."

The Doctor chuckles and ruffled her hair before standing in the doorway.

"Sleep well April."

"Thanks Doc."

* * *

 **There it is. Sorry again for the scene, I bet no one expected April to be with the Doctor, or maybe you did I don't know.**

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	4. The Long Game

**Here's to chapter 4! God, this was hard to write. The Long Game is my least favourite episode of Season 1, so it was hard to find the motivation, thank god for transcripts.**

 **Disclaimer: Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced and owned by the BBC and created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson. Any character recognised belong to the BBC.**

* * *

The next day April was all healed up, except for a couple of burns that were scaring. The Doctor was piloting the TARDIS and Rose was chatting with Adam. Rose went all out on her outfit, wearing black pants, black boots, a red and black jacket and silver hoop earrings with her hair in a high ponytail. April was wearing black pants, black boots (same from last time), a white chiffon blouse and a brown corduroy jacket with her hair down. When the TARDIS landed Rose, April and the Doctor walked out before Adam, since Rose wanted to be the one to impress Adam.

"So, it's 200.000, and it's a spaceship. No, wait a minute, space station, and err, go and try that gate over there. Off you go."

"200.000?"

"200.000."

"Right"

 _If I were alive today I would be 198.017 years old! Well I am alive, but I am only 23. April stop! You're confusing yourself._

Rose opened the door to the TARDIS

"Adam? Out you come."

Adam did walk out of the TARDIS and his jaw drops.

"Oh, my God."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Where are we?"

The Doctor hangs back with April as they watch Rose show off.

"Good question. Let's see. So, err, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200.000. If you listen"

She pauses and pretended to listen making Adam listen for real.

"Yeah."

"Engines. We're on some sort of space station. Yeah, definitely a space station. It's a bit warm in here. They could turn the heating down. Tell you what - let's try that gate. Come on!"

Rose leads the men, and April, through the metal gate to a massive viewing window with a view over the Earth.

"Here we go! And this is… I'll let the Doctor describe it."

The Doctor steps up to his plate

"The Fourth great and bountiful Human Empire. And there it is, planet Earth at its height. Covered with megacities, five moons, population ninety-six billion. The hub of a galactic domain stretching across a million planets, a million species, with mankind right in the middle."

Adam finds it so overwhelming that he faints, and no one really cares.

"He's your boyfriend."

"Not anymore."

April snorts at that remark and bends down to revive Adam. Once Adam is back on his feet, the quadrat walks to the central hub, where three wheels are turning.

"Come on, Adam. Open your mind. You're going to like this. Fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent. Culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners."

As on cue a man pushes the Doctor.

"Out of my way!"

Suddenly there are a lot of people bustling around, opening food vending stations and serving customers at their counters.

"Thank you very much indeed. Somebody there? That's great. What do you want, love? All right, keep moving. I'll be with you lot in a minute. Here you are. One at a time. What now, what was it? Kronkburger with cheese, kronkburger with pajaros. Do you want a drink? Oi, you, mate. Stop pushing. Get back. I said, back."

Rose looks at the doctor in disbelief.

"Fine cuisine?"

"My watch must be wrong. No, it's fine. It's weird"

"That's what comes of showing off. Your history's not as good as you thought it was."

"My history's perfect."

"Well obviously not."

April shook her head at the Doctor and Rose's banter.

"They're all human. What about the millions of planets, the millions of species? Where are they?"

"Good question. Actually, that is a good question. Adam, me old mate, you must be starving."

"No, I'm just a bit time sick."

"No, you just need a bit of grub. Oi, mate - how much is a kronkburger?"

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now join the queue."

"Money. We need money. Let's use a cashpoint."

" _Attention all staff. All coverage of the Glasgow water riots being transferred five through nine."_

The Doctor went up to a Credit Five cashpoint and did something clever with his sonic screwdriver. It produces a plastic card which the Doctor handed to Adam."

"There you go, pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets. "

"How does it work?"

"Go and find out. Stop nagging me. The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers. Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go and do it. Off you go, then. Your first date. "

"You're going to get a smack, you are."

Rose and Adam leave April with the Doctor, who approaches a pair of smartly dressed young women, Cathica and Suki.

"Err, this is going to sound daft, but can you tell me where I am?"

"Floor One Three Nine. Could they write it any bigger?"

"Floor one three nine of what?"

"Must've been a hell of a party."

"You're on Satellite Five."

"What's Satellite Five."

"Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?"

"Look at me. I'm stupid."

"Hold on, wait a minute. Are you a test? Some sort of management test kind of thing?"

"You've got me. Well done. You're too clever for me."

The Doctor holds up his psychic paper ID card and April stared at it curiously.

"We were warned about this in basic training. All workers have to be versed in company promotion."

"Right, fire away, ask your questions. If it gets me to Floor 500 I'll do anything."

"Why, what happens on Floor 500?"

"The walls are made of gold. And you should know, Mister Management. So, this is what we do."

Cathica went over to a wall monitor.

" Latest news, sandstorms on the new Venus archipelago. Two hundred dead. Glasgow water riots into their third day. Space lane seventy-seven closed by sunspot activity. And over on the Bad Wolf channel, the Face of Boe has just announced he's pregnant."

"I get it. You broadcast the news."

"We are the news. We're the journalists. We write it, package it and sell it. Six hundred channels. All coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere. Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going through us."

"How do you gather all that information?" April asked curiously.

"I think it's easier to show you, if you want?"

"That would be nice thanks."

Cathica goes to sound the alarm for the other individuals and the Doctor calls out to Rose and Adam.

"Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!"

As they follow Suki and Cathica to the newsroom April struck up a conversation with the Doctor.

"So, what was that paper you used on them."

"The paper is slightly physic, makes people see what you want them to see."

He pulled out the paper and showed it to April who frowned in confusion.

"What?" he asked. Aprils brown frowned a bit more.

"I can't quite see it. The paper is blank, but there are some letters just blurring for me."

The Doctor grinned at her.

"That means you are quite clever. Clever enough not to be fooled by the paper."

April scoffed and handed the psychic paper back to the Doctor.

"Hardly."

Now it was the Doctor's turn to look at her in confusion. In the newsroom, seven people are seated at an octagonal desk around a central chair with wires coming out of it. The Doctor, April, Rose and Adam stand to one side observing.

"Now, everybody behave. We have a management inspection. How do you want it, by the book? "Cathica asks the Doctor

"Right from scratch, thanks."

"Okay. So, ladies, gentlemen, multi-sex, undecided or robot, - my name is Cathica Santini Khadeni. That's Cathica with a C, in case you want to write to Floor five hundred praising me, and please do. Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and beyond bias. That's company policy."

"Actually, it's the law. "Suki interrupted.

"Yes, thank you, Suki. Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests. Here we go." Cathica said annoyed.

Cathica settled into the central chair.

" And engage safety."

The seven held their hands over palm print on the table in front of them. Lights started to come on around the room. Cathica clicked her fingers and a portal opened in her forehead. The seven put their hands into the palm prints.

"And three, two, and spike."

A beam of light shined into her portal.

"Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer."

"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius." Rose commented.

"Nah, she wouldn't remember any of it. There's too much. Her head'd blow up. The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets."

"So, what about all these people round the edge?"

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit six hundred channels. Every single fact in the Empire beams out of this place. Now that's what I call power." The Doctor marvelled.

Rose went to talk to Adam who looked a bit overwhelmed by it all.

"You all right?"

"I can see her brain."

"Do you want to get out?"

"No. No, this technology, it's amazing."

"This technology's wrong." The Doctor declared.

"Trouble?"

"Oh, yeah."

Suki pulled her hands away as if she had just received an electric shock. The other six lifted their hands and the information beam shut down. Cathica's portal closed.

"Come off it, Suki. I wasn't even halfway. What was that for?"

"Sorry. It must've been a glitch."

"Oh."

" _Promotion."_

A wall lit up with the word.

"Come on. This is it. Come on. Oh God, make it me. Come on, say my name, say my name, say my name." Cathica begged.

" _Promotion for Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor 500."_

"I don't believe it. Floor 500."

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you."

"I don't know. I just applied on the off chance and they've said yes."

"That's so not fair. I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years."

"What's Floor five hundred?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"The walls are made of gold."

At the lift Suki were saying goodbye to her friends

"Cathica, I'm going to miss you. Floor 500, thank you." Cathica still looked annoyed that Suki was promoted. Suki went to hug the Doctor.

"I didn't do anything."

"Well, you're my lucky charm."

"All right. I'll hug anyone."

April seemed to share his sentiments and hugged Suki as well wishing her luck. Rose seemed to focus more on Adam.

"Come on, it's not that bad."

"What, with the head thing?"

"Yeah, well, she's closed it now!"

"Yeah, but. It's everything. It freaks me out. And I just need to. If I could just cool down. Sort of acclimatise."

"How do you mean?"

"Maybe I could just go and sit on the observation deck. Would that be all right? Soak it in, you know. Pretend I'm a citizen of the year 200.000."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no, you stick with the Doctor. You'd rather be with him. It's going to take a better man than me to get between you two. Anyway, I'll be on the deck."

"Here you go. Take the Tardis key. You know, just in case it gets a bit too much."

"Yeah, like it's not weird in there."

April, who had been listening to the conversation got a bad feeling but shook it off.

" _All staff are reminded that the sixteen forty break sessions have been shortened by ten minutes. Thank you."_

Adam left with the key, grinning to himself and April watched him go.

"Oh, my God, I've got to go. I can't keep them waiting. I'm sorry. Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!" Suki exclaimed and stepped into the lift where after the lift doors closed.

"Good riddance." Cathica said in relief making April frown.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs. "April said.

"We won't. Once you go to Floor 500 you never come back."

They walked back through the cafeteria.

"Have you ever been up there?" the Doctor asked Cathica who shook her head.

"I can't. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen few."

They followed her back to the broadcast room.

"Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?"

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?"

The Doctor sat down in the broadcast chair, with Rose leaning on the back and April sat on the rail.

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived. That's medical. That's when I got my head done, and then I came straight here. Satellite Five, you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it. that's all. You're not management, are you?"

"At last. She's clever."

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Don't you even ask?"

"Well, why would I?"

"You're a journalist. Why's all the crew human?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"There's no aliens on board. Why?"

"I don't know. No real reason. They're not banned or anything."

"Then where are they?

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what with all the treats."

"What threats?" April asked.

"I don't know all of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away. Oh, and the government on Chavic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see. Just lots of little reasons, that's all."

"Adding up to one great big fact, and you didn't even notice. "

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."

"I can see better. This society's the wrong shape, even the technology."

"It's cutting edge."

"It's backwards. There's a great big door in your head. You should've chucked this out years ago."

"So, what do you think's going on?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful Human Empire's stunted. Something's holding it back."

"And how would you know?"

"Trust me, humanity's been set back about ninety years. When did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"91 years ago."

* * *

The Doctor is using his sonic screwdriver on a pair of double doors.

"We are so going to get in trouble. You're not allowed to touch the mainframe. You're going to get told off."

"Rose, tell her to button it."

"You can't just vandalise the place. Someone's going to notice."

The doors open.

* * *

The Doctor were having fun making things go sput amongst the mare's nest of wiring.

"This has nothing to do with me. I'm going back to work."

"Go on, then. See you!"

"I can't just leave you, can I!"

"If you want to be useful, get them to turn the heating down. It's boiling. What's wrong with this place? Can't they do something about it?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. We keep asking. Something to do with the turbine."

"Something to do with the turbine." The Doctor mocked.

"Well, I don't know!"

"Exactly. I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Rose. look at Rose. Rose is asking the right kind of question."

"Oh, thank you."

"Why is it so hot?"

"One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!"

"Well, never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important."

The Doctor produced a monitor with a schematic on it.

"Here we go. Satellite Five, pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout."

"This is ridiculous. You're got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange and you're looking at pipes?"

"But there's something wrong."

"I suppose."

"Why, what is it?"

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out channelling massive amounts of heat down."

"All the way from the top."

"Floor five hundred."

"Something up there is generating tons and tons of heat."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?"

"You can't. You need a key."

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here. Here we go. Override two one five point nine."

The monitor showed 215.9976/31.

"How come it's given you the code?"

"Someone up there likes me."

Outside the lift.

"Come on. Come with us." Rose asked Cathica.

"No way."

"Bye!"

"Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me."

Cathica left the Doctor, Rose and April to go to floor 500.

"That's her gone. Adam's given up. Looks like it's just the three of us."

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Yep."

* * *

On floor 500 everything was covered in ice.

"The walls are not made of gold. You two should go back downstairs."

"Tough."

"Like we would leave you alone." April told him.

They found the Editor and his staff.

"I started without you. This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but you three, you don't exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

At this point Rose noticed Suki.

"Suki. Suki! hello? Can you hear me? Suki? What have you done to her?"

"I think she's dead." April said sorrowfully.

"She's working."

"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going, like puppets." The Doctor explained.

"Oh! You're full of information. But it's only fair we get some information back, because apparently, you're no one. It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, because we're off. Nice to meet you. Come on."

Suki grabs Rose's arm. Two other zombies grab the Doctor while another grabs April.

"Tell me who you are."

"Since that information's keeping us alive. I'm hardly going to say, am I."

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise."

"And who's that?"

"It may interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live."

Growl and snarls can be heard.

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client."

The client is shown as a giant lump hanging from the ceiling with a very nasty set of teeth in a mouth on the end of a pseudopod.

"What is that?" Rose asked.

"You mean that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?"

"That thing, as you put it, is in charge of the human race. For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news, edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe. I call him Max."

While the Editor had been talking the Doctor, Rose and April had been placed in hefty sets of manacles.

"Create a climate of fear and it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilise an economy, invent an enemy, change a vote."

"So, all the people on Earth are like, slaves." Rose said.

"Well, now, there's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

The Editor asked.

"Yes." The Doctor and April responded.

"Oh, I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? Yes?"

"Yes."

"You're no fun."

"Let me out of these manacles. You'll find out how much fun I am."

"Oh, he's tough, isn't he? But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must have noticed." Rose said.

"From time to time, someone, yes, but the computer chip system allows me to see inside their brains. I can see the smallest doubt and crush it. Then they just carry on, living the life, strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're so individual, when of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

At this point the Doctor, Rose and April spots Cathica who has snuck onto floor 500 and is hiding behind the Editor's back.

"What about you? You're not a jagrabelly." Rose asked.

"Jagrafess."

"Jagrafess. You're not a Jagrafess. You're human."

"Yeah, well, simply being human doesn't pay very well."

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own."

"No. I represent a consortium of banks. Monet prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to install himself."

"No wonder, a creature that size. What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite Five is one great big support system."

"But that's why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown. Who are you?"

The Editor snaps his fingers and energy surges through the manacles. If April could she would sigh, _that's the second time I've been electrocuted. But this is nowhere near as bad as Van Statten's._

"Leave them alone. I'm the Doctor, they're Rose Tyler and April Jones. We're nothing, we're just wandering."

"Tell me who you are!"

"I just said!"

"Yes, but who so you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly…"

He trails of as the Jagrafess growls.

"Timelord."

"What?"

"Oh, yes. The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine. Oh, with his two small human girls from long ago."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Time travel."

"Someone's been telling you lies."

"Young master Adam Mitchell?"

The Editor calls up a holo-monitor showing Adam in the broadcast chair, a portal open to his brain and a beam of light shining into it.

"Oh, my God. His head!" Rose exclaimed horrified.

"What the hell's he done? What the hell's he gone and done? They're reading his mind. He's telling them everything."

"Please tell me I can punch him when this is all over." April asked frustrated.

"And through him, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in you S. Tardis." The Editor said.

"Well, you'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key."

On the monitor they can see the TARDIS key rising from Adam's pocket."

"You and your boyfriends! April you are more than welcome to hit him." The Doctor said, and April smiled despite the situation.

"Today, we are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing."

"And no one's going to stop you because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold."

The Jagrafess snarls as Cathica leaves. The monitor is shut down but a few minutes later something starts to go wrong, for the Editor.

"What's happening? Someone's disengage the safety. Who's that?"

The Editor calls up the imagine on the holo-monitor. Cathica has replaced Adam.

"It's Cathica."

"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows." April said.

"Terminate her access."

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five. The pipes, the filters, she's reversing it. Look at that."

The icicles around them are starting to melt.

"It's getting hot."

"I said, terminate. Burn out her mind."

" _Oh no, you don't. You should have promoted me years back."_ Cathica can be heard saying and April smiles as the consoles explode and the dead operators collapse. Rose gets out of her manacles.

"She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano."

The Editor is having a heated conversation with the Jagrafess.

"Yes, I'm trying, sir, but I don't know how she did it. It's impossible. A member of staff with an idea."

The Editor takes Suki's seat while Rose tries to free April and the Doctor. She manages to get the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor's pocket.

"What do I do?"

"Flick the switch! Oi, mate want to bank a certainty? Massive heat in massive body, massive bang. See you in the headlines!"

Finally free, Rose April and the Doctor leaves. They run for the broadcast as chunks of ice fall from the ceiling, the satellite shudders and the Jagrafess growls.

"Let go of me! Let go of me!" The Editor begs.

The Jagrafess explodes and the Doctor snaps his fingers and closes Cathica's portal.

* * *

On floor 139, dawn rises over Mother Earth as April helps the injured people on the satellite.

"We're just going to go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage."

"You'll have to stay and explain it. No one's going to believe me."

"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The human race should accelerate. All back to normal." The Doctor says and throws April a look saying that they're about to leave and she starts walking up to them.

"What about your friend?" Cathica asks referring to Adam as April enters the TARDIS.

"He's not my friend."

"Now, don't." Rose weakly defends before Adam starts talking.

" I'm all right now. Much better. And I've got the key. Look, it's. It all worked out for the best, didn't it? You know, it's not actually my fault, because you were in charge."

The Doctor pushes Adam into the TARDIS and starts flying it. The tension is thick as nobody says a word and April, having heard Adam accuse the Doctor, keeps sending Adam dirty looks. As they materialise the Doctor pushes Adam out of the TARDIS.

"It's my house. I'm home! Oh, my God, I'm home! Blimey. I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock."

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Doctor asks hardly.

"No. What do you mean?"

The Doctor picks up the answering machine.

"The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could've changed the world"

The Doctor points his sonic screwdriver at the telephone and it explodes.

"That's it, then. See you."

"How do you mean, see you?"

"As in goodbye."

"But what about me? You can't just go. I've got my head. I've got a chip type two. My head opens."

"What like this?" The Doctor asks and snaps his fingers.

"Don't"

He closes it.

"Don't do what?"

Open.

"Stop it!"

Close.

"All right now, Doctor, that's enough. Stop it."

"Thank you."

Rose snaps her fingers.

"Oi!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Adam closes it again.

"The whole of history could have changed because of you."

"I just wanted to help."

"You were helping yourself."

"And I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am, but you can't just leave me like this."

"Yes, I can. Cause if you show that head to anyone, they'll dissect you in seconds. You'll have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. be average, unseen. Good luck."

"But I want to come with you."

"I only take the best. I've got Rose and April, who I believe wants to give you something."

April punches Adam and follows the Doctor into the TARDIS, just as Adam's mum comes in the front door.

* * *

 **So, what did you think? Not the best I know.**

 **Review replies:**

 **NicoleR85:** Thanks.

 **Next chapter should be up in a day or two.**

 **Stay safe.**


	5. Father's Day

**Here's to chapter 5! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I had one of those day where I only wanted to sleep.**

 **Disclaimer: Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme produced and owned by the BBC and created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson. Any character recognised belong to the BBC.**

* * *

April walked into the TARDIS console room, wearing a pair of high waisted jeans, a long sleeve T-shirt, a long lace open cardigan and black ankle boots. When she entered she noticed Rose was looking quite down and April went to sit next to her.

"Hey. Are you alright?" April asked.

Rose looked at her.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about my father." She explained.

"Anything specific?" April asked, and Rose pulled out her wallet and removed a photograph.

April and the Doctor, who had walked over to join their conversation, saw a laughing man with thinning hair. Rose started to explain.

"Peter Alan Tyler, my dad. The most wonderful man in the world. Born 15th September 1954. I weren't old enough to remember when he died. 1987, 7th of November. The day that Stuart Hoskins and Sarah Clarke got married. He was always having adventures. That's what Mom always says. So, I was thinking, could we, could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?"

"Where's this coming from, all of a sudden?" The Doctor asked.

"All right then, if we can't, if it goes against the laws of time or something, then never mind, just leave it."

"No, I can do anything. I'm just more worried about you."

"I want to see him."

"Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for."

* * *

The Doctor, April and Rose attend her parent's wedding.

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentice."

"I, Peter Alan Tyler, take you, Jacqueline Suzanne Suzette Anita…"

"Oh, just carry on. It's good enough for Lady Di."

"I thought he'd be taller." Rose said.

"To be my lawful wedded wife, to love and behold till death do us part."

* * *

Back in the TARDIS, Rose starts talking about the day he dad died.

"He died so close to home. Nobody was there. It was a hit and run driver. Never found out who. Mom always wished there's been someone there for him. I want to be that someone, so he doesn't die alone."

"November the 7th?" The Doctor asked.

"1987."

The time rotor starts up.

* * *

The TARDIS was parked between a telephone junction box and a road sign, by park railings. Never Can Say Goodbye is playing somewhere.

"It's so weird. The day my father died. I thought it'd be all sort of grim and stormy. It's just an ordinary day."

"The past is another country. 1897's just the Isle of Wight."

"Are you sure about this?" April asked Rose.

"Yeah."

* * *

"This is it. Jordan Road. He was late. He'd been to get a wedding present, a vase. Mom always said, that stupid vase."

A green van comes around the corner.

"He got out of his car."

The car pulled into the kerb.

"And crossed the road. Oh, God. This is it."

As Pete Tyler gets out of the van the Doctor takes Rose's hand. A beige car comes around the corner and drives straight into Pete. The driver shields his face with his arm and keeps going, leaving Pete and the broken vase in the middle of the road. Pete tries to move.

"Go to him, quick."

But Rose can't do it and runs away with the Doctor and April following her. Later, around the corner, they can hear sirens approach.

"It's too late now. by the time the ambulance got there, he was dead. He can't die on his own. Can I try again?"

The Doctor and April shared a concerned look, but the Doctor agreed to try again. They all look around the corner to see themselves by the kerbside.

"Right, that's the first you, me and April. It's a very bad idea, two sets of us being here at the same time. Just be careful they don't see us. Wait till she runs off and they follow, then go to your dad."

Pete parks at the kerb.

"Oh, God. This is it." They can hear the other Rose say.

"I can't do this." Rose said.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but this is the last time we can be here." The Doctor told her.

Rose runs forward as Pete is getting out of the van.

"Rose! No!" The Doctor yelled, but it is too late.

Rose dashes past her earlier self and pushes her father out of the path of the beige car. The vase rolls away, unbroken. The earlier Doctor, April and Rose vanish.

"I did it. I saved your life." Rose said shocked.

"Blimey, did you see the speed of it? Did you get his number?" Pete asked.

"I really did it. Oh, my God, look at you. You're alive! That car was going to kill you"

"Give me some credit, I did see it coming. I wasn't going to walk under it, was I"

"I'm Rose."

"That's a coincidence. That's my daughter's name."

At this point April and the Doctor had caught up to Rose and her father. The Doctor was glaring at Rose.

"That's a great name. Good choice. Well done."

"Right, I'd better shift. I've got a wedding to go to."

"Is that Sarah Clarke's wedding?"

"Yeah, are you going?"

"You and your friends need a lift?"

* * *

The drive to the Tyler's flat was uncomfortable. April tried to make herself invisible, the Doctor kept glaring at Rose, Rose couldn't take her eyes of her father and Pete, not noticing the tension, called the Doctor for Rose's boyfriend. They arrived at the flat and followed Pete.

"Right, there we go. Sorry about the mess. If you want a cup of tea, the kitchens just down there, milk's in the fridge. Well, it would be, wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments, you know, one for milk, one for yogurt, make a lot of money out of that. Sell it to students and things. I should write that down. Anyway, never mind that, excuse me for a minute. Got to go and change."

Pete went to the bedroom and Rose looked around the flat.

"All the stuff mom kept. his stuff. She kept it all packed away in boxes in the cupboard. She used to show me when she'd had a bit to drink. Here it is, on display. Where it should be. Third prize at the bowling. First tow to go to Didcot. Health drinks. Tonics, mom used to call them. He made his money selling this Vitex stuff. He had all sorts of jobs. He was so clever. Solar power. Mum said he was going to do this. Now he can. Okay, look I'll tell him you're not my boyfriend."

Rose had turned around to face the Doctor and April. The Doctor was still looking at her with a glare.

"When we met, I said travel with me in space. You said no. Then I said time machine."

"It wasn't some big plan. I just saw it happening and I thought, I can stop it."

"I did it again. I picked another stupid ape. I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe. It never is. It's about the universe doing something for you."

April bit her lip, not knowing how to stop them arguing.

"So, it's okay when you go to other times, and you save people's lives, but not when it's me saving my dad."

"I know what I'm doing, you don't. Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point."

"But he's alive!"

"My entire planet died. My whole family. Do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?"

"But it's not like I've changed history. Not much. I mean he's never going to be a world leader. He's not going to start World War Three or anything."

"Rose, there's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive."

"What. would you rather him dead?"

"I'm not saying that,"

"No, I get it! For once, you're not the most important man in my life."

"Let's see how you get on without me, then. Give me the key. The TARDIS key. If I'm so insignificant, give me it back."

"All right then, I will."

Rose hands over the key to the Doctor.

"You've got what you wanted, so that's goodbye, then."

"You don't scare me. I know how sad you are. You'll be back in a minute, or you'll hang around outside the TARDIS waiting for me. And I'll make you wait a long time!"

The Doctor grabbed Aprils hand and dragged her along and Rose slammed the door behind them.

"Can you believe her?" The Doctor asked after the exited the building.

"Yes."

"You can?"

"I can. She has grown up without a Father, it's no wonder that she would like to see him when he was alive, however, I also understand you. We know he died, so he must die. Like Caesar, we know he died, so he must die otherwise it would change history. It's the same for Pete. Rose is the person she is today, because he died. Without his death, she would be a completely different person."

"That's right, sort of." The Doctor praised, in his own way.

The walked in silence until they turn the corner to Waterley street and saw the TARDIS at the end of the street.

"We're not actually going to leave her here, are we?"

"Of course not, we can't leave her in the wrong time, who knows what would happen then. We'll come back, at some point."

They stood outside the TARDIS when the Doctor looks up for a moment. He unlocks the doors and open them to reveal an empty police telephone box. The Doctor stepped inside and looked around in shock. He went out and grabbed April's had as he started running back the way they came from.

"Doctor. Where's the TARDIS? What's wrong?"

They kept running as the Doctor explained.

"There are these creatures called Reapers. They live in the Time Vortex, they seek out disturbances in time and leave the Time Vortex and devourer everything in the area. They have the ability to deactivate TARDISes, so no one can escape from them."

They run up to the church and sees Rose standing with her back towards them.

"Rose! Get in the church!" The Doctor yells.

Rose turns around and smiles in victory as the Doctor and April runs towards her. A large thing with bat-like wings appears in the sky. It hisses and starts to swoop. Rose screams, and April pushes her to the pavement just in time to avoid the Reapers talons.

"Get in the church!" The Doctor yells again.

Two more Reapers appear.

"Oh, my God. What are they? What are they?"

"Inside!"

"Sarah!"

"Stay in there!"

One man tries to run away, but he gets pounced on. Another blocks the brides path to the church, but when she screams it flies off and pounces on the vicar instead

"In."

The Doctor manged to get the bridal party inside the church and slammed the door on the creatures.

"They can't get in. Old windows and doors. Okay. The older something is, the stronger it is. What else? Go and check the other doors! Move!"

"What's happening? What are they? What are they?" Jackie demands.

"There's been an accident in time. A wound in time. They're like bacteria, taking advantage."

"What do you mean, time? What're you jabbering on about, time?"

"Oh, I might've known you'd argue. Jackie, I'm sick of you complaining."

"How do you know my name?"

"I haven't got time for this."

"I've never met you in my life!"

"No, and you never will unless I sort this out. Now, if you don't mind. I've waited a long time to say this. Jackie Tyler, do as I say. Go and check the doors."

"Yes, sir" Jackie said and ran off.

"I should have done that ages ago."

"My dad was out there" The groom said.

"You can mourn him later. Right now, we've got to concentrate on keeping ourselves alive."

"My dad had..."

"There's nothing I can do for him."

"There's nothing I can do for him."

"No, but he had this phone thing. I can't get it to work. I keep getting this voice."

He held up the phone, so the Doctor and April could listen.

" _Watson come here. I need you. Watson come here. I need you."_

"That's the very first phone call. Alexander Graham Bell" April said in amazement.

"I don't think the telephone's going to be much use." The Doctor remarked.

"But someone must have called the police." The groom said.

"Police can't help you now. No one can. Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged, and they've come to sterilise the wound. By consuming everything inside."

"Is this because? Is this my fault?" Rose asked.

In the vestry, everything was laid out for the signing of the register. Pete was looking out of the window face towards town.

"There's some coming up from the city, but no sirens. I don't think it's just us. I think these things are all over the place. Maybe the whole world." Pete mused.

A beige car appears at the corner, turns, the driver covers his face and it disappears again. Both Pete and April noticed this.

"Was that a car?" He asked.

"It's not important. Don't worry about it." The Doctor told him, but he didn't meet Pete's eyes.

Pete walks out of the vestry and a creature is ramming against a side door. The Doctor pulls the curtain aside and gets out his sonic screwdriver. The bride and groom approach the Doctor and April.

"Excuse me, Mister." the Groom said.

"Doctor."

"You seem to know what's going on."

"I give that impression, yeah."

"I just wanted to ask..."

"Can you save us?" The bride asked.

"Who are you two, then?"

"Stuart Hoskins."

"Sarah Clark"

"And one extra. Boy or girl?" The Doctor asked, and April looked up.

"I don't know. I don't want to know, really." Sarah said."

"How did you meet?" April asked.

"Outside the Beatbox Club, two in the morning."

"Street corner. I'd lost my purse, didn't have money for a taxi."

"I took her home."

"Then what? Asked her for a date?" The Doctor asked.

"Wrote his number on the back on my hand."

"Never got rid of her since. My dad said..."

"I don't know what this is all about, and I know we're not important."

"Who said you're not important? I've travelled to all sort of places, done thing you couldn't even imagine, but you two. Street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home. I've never had a life like that. Yes. I'll try to save you."

* * *

Later, Jackie had handed over Baby Rose to the Doctor to look after her. April watches from the distance as the Doctor talks to Baby Rose.

"Now, Rose you're not going to bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?"

At this point Rose walks up to the Doctor.

"Jackie gave her to me to look after. How times change."

"I'd better be careful. I think I just imprinted myself on Mickey like a mother chicken."

Rose tries to touch Baby Rose, but the Doctor stops her

"No. Don't touch the baby. You're both the same person. That's a paradox, and we don't want a paradox happening, not with these things outside. Anything new, any disturbance in time makes them stronger. The paradox might let them in."

"Can't do anything right, can I?" Rose said miserable.

"Since you ask, no. So, don't touch the baby."

"I'm not stupid."

"You could have fooled me. All right, I'm sorry. I wasn't really going to leave you on your own."

"I know."

"I know."

"But between you and me, I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out."

"You'll think of something."

"The entire Earth's been sterilised. This, and other place like it, are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures. They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And now I'm going the same way."

"If I'd realised."

"Just tell me you're sorry."

"I am. I'm sorry."

They hugged, and April smiled, glad they finally made up.

"Have you got something hot?" Rose asked.

She reached into his inside pocket, takes out a key and drips it because it is glowing hot.

"It's the TARDIS key!" The Doctor exclaimed excitedly. He took of his jacket and safely picked up the key.

"It's telling me it's still connected to the TARDIS"

The Doctor stands up and makes an announcement from the pulpit.

"The inside of my ship was thrown out of the wound, but we can use this to bring it back. And once I've got my ship back, then I can mend everything. Now, I just need a bit of power. Has anybody got a battery?"

Stuart picked up the mobile phone.

"This one big enough?" He asked.

"Fantastic."

"Good old dad. There you go."

"Just need to do a bit of charging and then we can bring everyone back."

The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver while the creatures batter at the doors. Pete and Rose are sitting near Baby Rose having a quiet talk. The TARDIS slowly materialises around the key.

"Right, no one touches that key. Have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be, well, zap. Just leave it be and everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. all of us, Stuart, Sarah you're going to get married, just like I said."

"When time get sorted out." Rose started.

"Everybody here forgets what happened. And don't worry, the thing that you changed will stay changed. "He assured her.

"You mean I'll still be alive, though I'm meant to be dead. That's why I haven't done anything with my life, why I didn't mean anything." Pete said.

"I don't work like that."

"Rubbish. I'm so useless I couldn't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened."

"This is my fault." Rose told him.

"No, love. I'm your dad. It's my job for it to be my fault."

Jackie had overheard the last part of Rose and Pete's conversation.

"Her dad? How are you her dad? How old were you, twelve? Oh, that's disgusting."

"Jacks, listen. This is Rose."

"Rose? How sick is that? You give my daughter a second-hand name? How many are there? Do you call them all Rose?"

"Oh, for God's sake, look. It's the same Rose!"

Pete takes baby Rose from Jackie and hands her to Rose.

"Rose! No!" The Doctor said and snatches baby Rose away and gives her to Jackie, but it was too late.

Two creature appears inside the Church and one of them goes for Rose. April pushes Rose away but is devoured by the Reaper, that afterwards disappears. The Doctor stares in shock before running in front of the small bridal party and facing the remaining reaper.

"Everyone, behind me! I'm the oldest thing in here."

"Doctor!" Rose yelled.

The Reaper pounced on the Doctor then flew over to the TARDIS. They touch, the TARDIS and the Reaper vanish and the key falls to the floor Rose runs to pick it up.

"It's cold. The key's cold. Oh, my God, they're dead. This is all my fault. Both of you. All of you. The whole world."

"This is it. There's nothing we can do. It's the end." Bev cries.

As the Reapers start scraping at the stonework outside, Pete watches the car drive around the corner again and again from the vestry window. He goes back into the church and over to Rose, who is sitting on her own.

"The Doctor really cared about you. He didn't want you to go through it again, not if there was another way. Now there isn't."

"What are you talking about? "

"The car that should have killed me, love. It's here. The Doctor worked it out way back, but

he, err, he tried to protect me. Still, he's not in charge anymore. I am."

"But you can't. "

"Who am I, love?"

"My daddy."

"Jackie, look at her. She's ours."

"Oh, of course."

Jackie hugs a weeping Rose.

"I'm meant to be dead, Jackie. You're going to get rid of me at last."

"Don't say that."

"For once in your life, trust me. It's got be done. You've got to survive, because you've got to bring up our daughter. I never read you those bedtime stories. I never took you on those picnics. I was never there for you."

"You would have been."

"But I can do this for you. I can be a proper dad for you now."

"But it's not fair."

"I've had all these extra hours. No one else in the world has ever had that. And on top of that, I got to see you. And you're beautiful. How lucky am I, eh? So, come on, do as your dad says. You going to be there for me, love? Thanks for saving me."

Pete runs out of the church, clutching the vase. A Reaper spots him. He runs to the corner, where the car appears. The driver flings his arm across his face.

"Goodbye, love."

Thump! The vase drops and breaks. The Reapers vanish. The Doctor has returned and stands behind Rose.

"Go to him. Quick."

Rose runs to her dying father. This time, the driver has stopped at the scene. Pete dies gazing into Rose's eyes. April walks up behind the Doctor.

"What's that?" Sarah asks.

Stuart's dad comes out of the church.

Rose kisses Pete farewell then stands and looks at the Doctor and April. The TARDIS had relocated to outside the Tandoori across the road. The Doctor, April and Rose walks towards the TARDIS. Once they entered the TARDIS Rose went to her room and the Doctor sent the TARDIS into the vortex.

"I'm going to check on Rose." April told the Doctor and headed down the TARDIS corridor.

She went past several rooms, the kitchen, the library, the garden until she made it to a pink door with the name 'Rose' written on it. She knocked on the door four times.

"Come in."

April entered, and it was clear to her as soon as she saw Rose that she had been crying.

"Oh, Rose."

April sat next to Rose on her bed and pulled her into a side hug.

"Are you alright? Of course, you're not alright. You wouldn't be alright. What I meant was… I'm not sure what I meant."

Rose giggled.

"Do you normally ramble when comforting someone?"

"I rarely comfort someone."

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Rose spoke up.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You're my friend. I'll do almost everything for my friends."

"I thought you might hate me."

"Now why would you think that?"

"Kinda my fault you got eaten."

"No, it wasn't. It was my fault, I got in the way of its mouth."

"But I saved my father."

"If I could, I would have saved mine as well. Of course, that would require me knowing who he is."

"You don't know?"

"I don't even know my real mother. I was adopted."

"That Explained a lot, you and Harriet doesn't exactly look alike."

"I know. She adopted me when I was two, so I've practically known her my entire life."

"So, you don't know you parents?"

"My birth mother left me on the doorstep to the children's home along with a letter. In the letter it said that my father had been killed and that she had to leave me behind for my own safety. she didn't even give me a name. Just my birthdate. I would give anything to go back and see how my mother looked. But I also know that the temptation to talk to her would be to great. I would do it. I know I would. So, I understand exactly why you did what you did. "

"Wow. I didn't realise how lucky I was. At least I know my mom, and now my dad."

"Well, I know my mom too. She has cared for me for 21 years."

* * *

 **So, what did you think? Not the best I know.**

 **Review replies:**

 **NicoleR85:**

Glad you liked it, I always wanted to punch him as well.

 **Iautaro94:**

I am glad you like it. I know she doesn't do much, but it was hard for me to incorporate her into the episode, so I did the best I could. I have a feeling she was like this in this chapter as well, but she should start talking more (I hope)

 **Thanks to:**

sbrown642

 **For following and favouriting this story.**

 **Next chapter should be up in a day or two.**

 **Stay safe.**


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